Guide for Reviewing the Environmental Assessment Bill

The federal government promised to fix Canada’s environmental assessment law by introducing new, fair processes that would win back public confidence. After more than 18 months of discussion and review, including strong recommendations by a government-appointed expert panel, the federal government will introduce its EA bill in 2018.

This brief sets out what to look for in the government’s environmental assessment bill to ensure that a new EA law promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability, allows the public a meaningful say in decisions that affect them, advances reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and achieves Canada’s climate change and biodiversity conservation obligations. These essential elements are based on the leading edge thinking of experts across the country, the collective recommendations of its authors, and the conclusions of the expert panel appointed to review Canada’s EA processes and which solicited the views of hundreds of concerned Canadians on how to fix EA.